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The symbolic importance of hair before the inclusion of Europeans was not just a symbol of beauty, it was beyond beauty. Hair in pre-colonial Afrika was about identity, recognition and divinity. During the pre-colonial times in Afrika the hair was considered the most elevated part of the body which means it is the closest to the divine. This connotes that hair was to be treated with not only good care but should be highly regarded.
For example the Mende people of Sierra Leone, held the belief that the hair connects them to not just the ancestors but the creator and so many Afrikan communities held that same strong belief that communication passed through the hair. Many believed that a single strand of hair is an element of divinity. This is why it is clearly obvious that during this time, hairbraiding was primarily the work of trusted friends or relatives.
To go otherwise by having your hair in the hands of a foe, was said to cause a lot of damage to the persons fortune. The relationship between hair and people was symbolic and in some places hair served as a carrier of messages. In practically all Afrikan societies hair communicated age, marital status, ethnic identity, religion, wealth and rank in the community. Thus it was germane for ones hair to be neat, clean and arranged in a certain style. Those styles included, but were not limited to cornrows and other braided styles.
Hair was also (til this day) was also adorned with ornaments such as beads and cowrie shells. In many cultures braiding is still an act of sharing (where you braid each others hair starting from a young age). Braiding still forms an important part of social interaction, helping to bond and gain trust with friends and to form a connection to the past. A significant style that has maintained a historical legacy that is here to stay.
